PM Group

Extracted from an article in DAA’s ‘Connections’ magazine
Construction work on the new €120 million Pier D project at Dublin Airport continues apace with the installation recently of two 26 tonne, 35metre suspension masts designed to support the new pedestrian bridge.
The masts will form the signature architectural pieces of the new bridge. DAA’s Paul O’Kane set the scene for the installation in a recent report in Connections, DAA’s passenger magazine.

`It’s just after dawn on a fine Thursday morning, but the huddle of men standing in front of the old terminal building have little interest in the weather. They are in deep discussion as they are
supervising a hugely complex project, which is about to begin and has absolutely no room for error. On the ground in front of them, wedged on some wooden beams, is a huge grey steel column that weighs about 26 tonnes. The column is the first of the two suspension masts that have to be lifted into place for a new pedestrian bridge that is part of the ?120 million Pier D project at Dublin Airport.
The new bridge will be suspended by a series of steel cables that will be attached close to the top of each mast. At the very top of the masts are two optical beacons that will act as a warning to aircraft. The mast’s true size only begins to become apparent when construction workers move in close to begin attaching temporary cables and supports so that it can be lifted into place. Lifting a 26 tonne piece of metal in a busy airport environment was always going to be a major challenge from a logistics and health and safety point of view. Delivering the masts in the middle of the night helped to avoid disruption to the busy Dublin Airport environment but this was only the beginning for the construction team who managed the complex installation in just 90 minutes. The team from contractors, Laing O’Rourke and sub-contractor’s SIAC Butler began the lifting and installation process using a specially sanctioned 360 tonne crane.
“Monitoring and fine tuning the installation at every stage was critical. We had to ensure there was no damage to the frame or the masts, which passed through it. We have a great team working on site. It was their dedication and expertise which allowed both installations to go according to plan”, said Pat
Lonergan, Senior Project Manager, PM Group.
When complete, the two-story 15,000 m² structure will provide 14 new aircraft contact stands. The new pier will be 257 metres long and 29 metres wide. It will have 12 gate lounges and separate arrivals and departure areas. With the capacity to cater for 10 million passengers per annum, the pier will have three dedicated retail and restaurant facilities.’

PM Group are project managers for the project, and have carried out all of the engineering with the exception of specialist items such as apron and the walkway bridge.